Tuesday, September 9, 2003

X-MEN: EVOLUTION UPDATE

"Sins of the Son," a new episode of X-Men: Evolution, will air on Saturday, Sept. 20 on Kids' WB!.

Producer Greg Johnson told The Continuum the episode will focus on Professor Xavier.

"We've always wanted to explore more of Xavier's personal life, and finally found the right story for it in 'Sins of the Son.'" Johnson told The Continuum.

"In this episode, Xavier's past rears its head with something so surprising that it draws in the X-Men, and puts them in grave danger. Ultimately, it's the professor who must rise up and meet this desperate challenge. We're venturing into some new territory with this one, and I think it came out very well."

Look for more X-Men: Evolution news soon here in The Conntinuum.

EL CAZADOR PREVIEW

Chuck Dixon, writer of the El Cazador title premiering this week from CrossGen Entertainment, said that the book will have no sigils or direct ties to the CrossGen Universe.

Dixon said that El Cazador translates to "the hunter" and that the lead character in the title is hunting for the kidnappers of her parents.

Here's how CrossGen describes the first issue, which has art by Steve Epting and colors by Nick Bell:

"When a fiery Spanish donessa runs afoul of a villainous armada, she sets sail with vengeance in her heart - reborn as Captain Sin! Meet CrossGen's next major hero in a savage tale of the days when cannons roared, cutlasses clashed, and the seas were stained blood red."

CrossGen head Mark Alessi said there has been movie interest in El Cazador after Pirates of the Carribbean.

"As soon as that movie hit, we had six studios contacting us about El Cazador," Alessi said.

CrossGen on Monday provided The Continuum with the first five pages from the first issue. Click on the thumbnails for larger images.

GIVE'EM A CLICK

CLAYPOOL COMICS FOR DECEMBER

Claypool Comics has released its solicitation information for December.

TOP COW'S COMMON GROUNDS

Writer Troy Hickman has found a new home for his independent project, Common Grounds, which is set to debut at Top Cow in January.

The ongoing series will have two self-contained stories each issue, featuring Hickman as the writer. The series' regular artist, Dan Jurgens, will draw one story per issue. The other story will be drawn by a different guest artist, with Chris Bachalo, Ethan Van Sciver, and Michael Avon Oeming lined up.

Each issue will also feature painted covers by Rodolfo Migliari.

"Ten years ago, with no idea how to get my foot in the door, I started
publishing my own digest-sized, photocopied comics called Holey Crullers," Hickman said. "They were rough, but they were mine, and people seemed to
think they were good."

Holey Crullers, retitled Common Grounds, is set in a chain of coffee shops
across the country, where super-heroes and super-villains gather to sip coffee, munch on donuts, and hang out without causing a major brawl. It's in this neutral setting that stories are created focusing on the "human" side of the superhuman.

Editor Jim McLauchlin said: "I picked up the mini-comic at the 1997 Wizard
World Chicago convention and instantly fell in love with it. The stories were
told with more heart, soul, and humanity than anything I had ever read. When I came to Top Cow, I made it my first priority to contact Troy Hickman and get rights to the property."

Top Cow arranged to buy the property from Hickman and name him the series writer, and then worked to bring artists to the book.

"The best part is seeing that these artists, guys like Michael Avon Oeming, Ethan van Sciver, Dan Jurgens and Chris Bachalo, dig these stories as much as I do," Hickman said.

COMICS CONTINUUM BACK ISSUES

In case you missed The Continuum's recent coverage, here are some links:

BRIEFLY

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Dominic Purcell has signed on to play Wesley Snipes' vampire nemesis in New Line Cinema's upcoming Blade: Trinity. The film, written and directed by David Goyer, is expected to go before the cameras this month in Vancouver.

Humanoids Publishing has launched a contest in connection with the Sept. 24 publication of Metal Hurlant #8, with the winner receiving more than $100 worth of Humanoids graphic albums.

Writer Dan Wickline has hidden anagrams of the names of four well-known, modern comic artists and writers in his story, Dragon of the Northern Pass, which is penciled by Scott Benefiel and inked by Jasen Rodriguez. Readers may visit the Humanoids Publishing website at www.humanoids-publishing.com or email cs@humanoids-publishing.com to enter. Entrants will send their name, e-mail address, postal address, and a list of the four anagrams and the four unscrambled names. All entries must be received by Oct. 24. The winner will be chosen at random from all entries containing the four correct anagrams and four correct unscrambled names.

Showtime will air the pilot episode of Jeremiah on Friday, Oct. 10 at 8:30 p.m. before launching the second season at 10 p.m. Look for more Jeremiah news soon here in The Continuum.